The Wii U is here! Are you getting one?

Last week, everyone was agape that Thanksgiving was coming up so soon (fourth Thursday in November here in the USA) but what was more surprising to me is that November 18 finally marked the release of the Wii U. The Wii U was originally announced at E3 2011 (so it's been a long wait), and while there have been some changes, it remains mostly unchanged from the original concept: this one is mainly about the controller.

So, how is it? The early reviews are in (and you can access them by going to our main product page by clicking the product name at the top) and so far they're pretty good, but not great. The Wii U fixes some of the problems with the original Wii—like a lack of HD support, or no Mario game at launch—but it's not generating the same level of excitement its predecessor did. Maybe it's because it doesn't represent the same supposed cosmic leap in gaming control that the Wii remote did; after all, it seems like plenty of people are introducing ways to use tablets to control your home entertainment systems, and even now there are rumors of an Xbox tablet. Or maybe it's because the Wii U is launching without a bunch of key features (like the eShop) and you need to install an update to get them. And of course, there's that sensation that we've been through all this before and may ultimately be disappointed like we were with the Wii. Only time—and the games—will tell.

So, did you pick one up on launch day? Could a purchase be in your future? Or are you content with the (now) last-gen systems?

Picked one up last weekend, very excited about several of the new games. Seems like quite a few at launch this time. We bought Madden, Just Dance, Super Mario and Black Ops, so basically we have my son, daughter, family and myself covered. So far loving the controller and the graphics, plus nothing beats mario and now I can play Mass Effect and call of duty, awesome. I was going to hold out until I played with one at game stop, and then the kids played it, it was a pretty easy decision after that.

i picked one the day after launch, and i'm enjoying my Nintendo Wii U tons more than I expected. I always saw the Wii U as an evolution of the Wii, and that the next console after the WiiU would be a major revamp for Nintendo.

I think Nintendo has done some interesting things with the GamePad, but ultimately, I think this is a console in search of a market. Fans of the original Wii weren't into the platform because they wanted cutting-edge graphics or a dual-screen experience; they wanted a simple platform with an even simpler controller that you could pick up and use like a baseball bat, bowling ball or tennis racket. While Wii games have evolved over the years, that simplicity is still at the heart of what made the Wii a successful platform. The Wii U is an entirely different beast; it wants to be an Xbox 360 or PS3, and tries to up the ante with the GamePad. The result, I think, is something that won't appeal to fans of the original Wii (i.e., casual gamers, kids, older users), and will be a curiosity to Xbox and PS3 owners who would rather wait for the next-gen versions of their platforms than shell out $300+ for a Wii U. That doesn't mean the Wii U won't succeed. Nintendo has the ability to produce Wii U-exclusive games that will convince fans to upgrade, especially since the console is backwards compatibile with the original Wii. But it's no accident the original Wii was code-named the "Revolution" before it was released. It was a game-changer. The Wii U is playing catch-up with competing consoles, and even tablets and smartphones.

I went to Target yesterday to check it out but they had sold out moments prior. I wasn't originally intending to get a Wii U, but reading all of the reviews and first impressions got me excited about it. If they had one in stock, I probably would've caved and bought it. A couple of salespeople I spoke with said they may not receive more units for several weeks.

I'll admit, I'm more intrigued than I was a few weeks ago. And props to Nintendo for putting together a decent launch lineup of titles. Although it still seems that decent online features are still a step too far for Nintendo!

But there's nothing that really inspires me to make a day-1 purchase. Partially because it's a fair amount of money (although not as overpriced IMO as some people say it is). But mostly because over the next few months there are some fantastic games coming out (including the daddy - GTA V) and they'll make the launch Wii U games look poor in comparison.

I plan on picking one up after the holidays. I'm strangely intrigued by the device, even though I'm not quite sure why. It definitely seems a little gimicky like the original Wii, but Nintendo always puts out fun games.

Nope. I still have way too many games to play on the DS, Wii, PS2 and PS3. That means a new system purchase is not in the cards. Especially since my Wii rarely gets played, and the Wii U's spiffy new controller can only be purchased with a system at the moment.

And did I mention that even though the Wii U technically supports two of the GamePad (thanks to public outcry and "WTF Miyamoto?") controllers, none of the current games support two GamePads? I'm sure support can be added down the line via a System Patch, but that's like spending $300 on an oven that only bakes on one side, with promises that it might work completely in six months. Oh, and buying an extra GamePad means spending another $300 on a second Wii U system. Although I'm sure you could probably sell the second Wii U sans GamePad on eBay for a good $150.